John Birt

John Birt (10 December 1944-) was a British television executive and businessman who served as Director-General of the BBC from 1992 to 2000.

Biography
John Birt was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England on 10 December 1944 to a Catholic father and a Protestant mother. After a successful career in commercial television with Granada Television and London Weekend Television, Birt became Deputy Director-General of the BBC in 1987 for his expertise in current affairs. In 1992, he became Director-General, and he restructured the BBC; he saved the corporation from possible government privatization and prepared for the era of digital broadcasting. From 2001 to 2005, he served as Strategic Adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair.